


Deleted Scenes and AUs

by starofjems



Series: LTF Extras [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-24 09:47:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 2,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30070392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starofjems/pseuds/starofjems
Summary: Collection of drabbles and ficlets compiled from Tumblr
Series: LTF Extras [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2212329
Comments: 3
Kudos: 14





	1. Eggy POV

**Author's Note:**

> From avayarising on Tumblr: POV the dragon in the egg, waiting to hatch.

Warmth and love was the first thing it ever knew, but then the love went away. All it knew was warmth and loneliness. Alone for so long, it forgot the warmth of anything other than its fire.

And then something changed.

There was still fire, but not always. There was something else embracing it, making it stir for the first time in  _ so long _ . It began to remember the days of love.

Was this is? Had someone come to love it again?

Would it finally come out to greet the world?

This  _ was _ love. It knew with growing clarity that someone loved it again. And yet, that wasn’t enough. There was something missing. It didn’t know what kept it slumbering, but someday soon that missing piece would return.

Soon, it would awaken and return the love that warmed it more than any fire.


	2. Akari and her father

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From avayarising on Tumblr: Little Akari arguing with her dad the first time he brings her home from the Air Temple?

Shaohao liked to believe he and his wife were doing a decent job of raising their children. They were kind kids that understood their responsibility as part of the royal family. Sure, they may have been a bit spoiled, but they were still young. And they were rarely selfish or cruel in their spoiled moments.

Akari’s recent exploits were something else entirely and Shaohao struggled to come up with a proper punishment.

“But Father! The spirits wanted me to go!” Akari whined, arms crossed and pouting at her untouched cup of tea.

“That doesn’t excuse ordering the servants and guards to follow your whims.”

“But I’m the princess! They’re supposed to listen to me!”

Shaohao groaned and rubbed his temples. “And I’m the Fire Lord.  _ You’re _ supposed to listen to  _ me _ .”

With a childish huff, Akari turned her head away from him to glare at the wall. “You never said I couldn’t go.”

“You never asked if you could go!”

His raised voice hovered over them in the enclosed space of the ship’s royal cabin. Akari curled into herself, stubborn tears brimming her eyes. Shaohao sighed. There was no point in getting angry when his daughter did not see the faults in her actions.

“Akari, do you have any idea how worried your mother and I were when we woke to you gone?”

“But I left a letter with the servants!” 

Spirits give him strength. Shaohao reached across the table to pull his daughter’s hands into a gentle grasp. He punctuated his words with soft squeezes.

“A letter can be forged. You’re a princess, Akari. You cannot vanish and leave the palace without proper protection and notice. Look at what happened to you while you were with the Air Nomads.”

Akari ripped her hands away. “That’s not their fault or Yangchen’s fault! It was a freak accident! I was fine! I didn’t need any stupid guards or servants with me. Even if they were there, it wouldn’t have made a difference. I had to go, Father. The spirits told me to!”

Perhaps his wife would have a better time getting through to Akari. Shaohao sighed and folded his hands on the table.

“Akari, if the spirits tell you to go somewhere again, please speak to me before following their guidance.”

The young crown princess of the Fire Nation refused to meet her father’s eyes as she mumbled a half-hearted agreement. Shaohao had a feeling his headache was going to be persistent over the next few years...


	3. Sarnai finds the jerboa

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From avayarising on Tumblr: Do we get to see Sarnai’s reaction to finding the jerboa?

“Kid sure was anxious we’d go digging around in the cargo hold,” the outpost overseer said as he led Dad, Sarnai, and Ghashiun to the sand sailer Hui left for them. “Took a while to assure him we’re a reputable sort and wouldn’t want to upset one of our best business partners.”

“I hope you didn’t take much offense,” Dad said, continuing the conversation as Sarnai and Ghashiun ditched the adults to check out the sailer.

From the letter that had greeted Sarnai when they first arrived at the outpost, Hui made it sound like there was a huge surprise waiting for them in the sand sailer. Sarnai hoped it was interesting scrolls from the library. Ghashiun called them a nerd and expressed hope that Hui had found some sort of treasure in the library.

Ghashiun was stupid. Why would Hui bring back treasure from a  _ library _ ? Sarnai wanted to make such a rebuttal, but Dad cut off the argument before it could turn into a full-fledged fight.

The cargo hold hatch was slightly ajar as Sarnai and Ghashiun approached. Odd, but the outpost overseer wasn’t exaggerating when he said they were a reputable outpost. Dad trusted these guys the most, which is why he had originally arranged Hui’s return trip to Gaoling from here. There was no way they had messed with the sailer. Maybe Hui hadn’t latched it properly? Weird considering how insistent he had been with the overseer, but he was still a kid.

Sarnai threw open the door and frowned into the darkness of the hold. There didn’t seem to be anything-

Something squeaked and whizzed past Sarnai’s face. They yelped and stumbled back into Ghashiun, who also startled and tried to back away. Both of them crashed to the ground as whatever it was that flew out of the cargo hold escaped into the nearby, sparse woods.

“What was  _ that _ ?” Ghashiun demanded as he shoved Sarnai off of him.

A strong breeze blew past Sarnai, following after the thing and through the trees.  _ Follow me _ , the wind said. Sarnai didn’t have to think twice before they jumped to their feet and ran with the breeze.

Distantly, they heard Ghashiun shout after them, but their focus was on the air currents around them. This air felt different. More alive. More playful. What did this mean? Why was their heart pounding in their ears in anticipation?

The loose, grainy soil of the desert border woods shifted beneath Sarnai’s feet. They yelped and scrambled to keep their balance. A shadow the size of a dog goat darted between the trees, then headed straight for Sarnai. They hardly had the time to process long, broad ears and wide, flat feet before the thing slammed into them.

Sarnai crashed to the ground and stared in disbelief at the creature jumping weightlessly on their chest. How- What- Were they dreaming? The creature squeaked, which was echoed by a cacophony of answering squeaks. One was right by Sarnai’s ear.

They turned their head to the side to stare at the small rodent beside their head. It chittered and jumped. Wind swirled beneath it as it spread its ears out. As easy as Sarnai could walk, the creature jumped higher and higher into the air above Sarnai.

Tears blurred Sarnai’s vision and they desperately tried to blink them away. The larger creature on Sarnai’s chest also summoned the air around it to send it afloat with its companion.

This had to be a dream. Sarnai hit their head when they fell into Ghashiun. That was the only logical explanation.

“Sarnai, where did you-” Ghashiun skid to a stop as he rounded a tree and caught sight of Sarnai on the ground. “Am I seeing things?”

Either Sarnai’s dream was extremely elaborate to add a disbelieving Ghashiun, or this was real.

The earth beneath Sarnai trembled. Sandy soil spun off the ground in a whirlwind as dozens more rodents of varying sizes flew out from the trees. Ghashiun dropped to the ground beside Sarnai, equally mystified as he stared up at the display of wind and sand.

“Are they-”

Joyful tears streamed down Sarnai’s cheeks as they laughed. The flying jerboa were better than any scroll or expensive treasure. They were better than any surprise Sarnai could have begun to fathom. Surrounded by creatures of legend that Hui somehow brought back, all Sarnai could do was laugh.


	4. Desert after the war AU

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From justapedestrian on Tumblr: I have had this hilarious image of Zuko in LTF showing up to the Si Wong Desert as Fire Lord, possibly with a dragon, the entire Fire Nation library in tow to give to Wan Shi Tong, and the Xitao tribe is just ???? huizhong is the firelord?????

“Dad!” Ghashiun shouted as he burst into the main room, out of breath and eyes wild. When he saw Sarnai, he exclaimed their name as well.

Sarnai took one look at their brother, then rolled their eyes and returned their attention to the inventory they were going over. “You’re back earlier than planned. Steal another sky bison and need some bailing out again?”

Almaz chittered on Sarnai’s shoulder as Dad gave them a disgruntled look. What? It was a valid question!

Ghashiun scowled and slammed his hands on the table, blocking Sarnai’s work. “No, asshole. I didn’t steal anything. I landed us a big job. You’re never going to guess who from.”

“The Fire Lord,” Sarnai replied with a snort, naming the first ridiculous idea that popped into their head.

The following silence and Ghashiun shocked expression made Sarnai’s jaw drop. They jumped to their feet and leaned across the table into their brother’s space.

“Are you  _ serious _ !? What the hell does the Fire Lord want from us?! Shouldn’t he be busy with, I don’t know, making peace with the Avatar or whatever?”

Ghashiun got over his shock and smiled smugly. “Well, apparently this is part of helping the Avatar restore balance with the spirits. He’s here too, by the way. And yes, I properly apologized before you harass me about that.”

“The Avatar is willing to work with us?” Dad asked, an eyebrow raised in disbelief.

Honestly, that was harder to believe than the new Fire Lord showing up out of nowhere. Sarnai dropped back in their set and crossed their arms, staring up at Ghashiun with narrowed eyes. He was withholding some crucial information that would make everything make sense.

“Well, he’s reluctant about it. But the Fire Lord spoke on my behalf after lecturing me for being an idiot.”

Okay, Sarnai was getting real sick of Ghashiun trying to be sly. It seemed Almaz was equally annoyed. The flying jerboa squeaked as it jumped from Sarnai’s shoulder to fly around Ghashiun’s head. It bent a trail of sand to follow its path, making Ghashiun shout a complaint and engage in a bending tug of war with Almaz.

“Ugh, Almaz, stop! It’s Hui!”

Almaz landed on Ghashiun’s head with a confused trill. Sarnai and Dad shared a confused look.

“Hui is with the Fire Lord and the Avatar?” Dad asked, his tone unsure even in asking the question.

Ghashiun grinned. “Hui  _ is _ the Fire Lord.”

Oh. That little shit had _ a lot _ of explaining to do.


	5. Zuko sees Sarnai again AU

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From Anonymous on Tumblr: Can we get a glimpse of Zuko as Hui visiting the sand benders a second time?

“Pst, hey, Windy. Over here.”

Sarnai halted in their tracks as Dad and Ghashiun continued following the Beifong’s guards across the estate. No one noticed they had stopped, so they were free to step off the path into the shrubbery of the garden. The little heiress grinned from her spot crouched under a bush and waved Sarnai over.

“Are you sure you should be talking to me in the middle of the day?” Sarnai asked, crouching down next to Toph.

Toph snorted harshly, making a hilarious juxtaposition to her soft, airy clothes. “Don’t doubt me. No one’s around, that’s why I called you over.”

“Sorry, sorry, but I thought we were gonna meet up tonight.”

“Yeah, wanna head out early? You won’t guess who showed up last night after you turned in.”

Sarnai tilted their head, unsure where Toph was going with this. “Yeah, I don’t know your friends, so I wouldn’t be able to guess.”

“Jeez, I thought you were supposed to be smart. Who could we possibly both know?”

Wait- What? No way! Sarnai jumped to their feet with an elated cheer. “Well, what are we waiting for? Where is he? Oh man, I can’t wait to hear what he’s been up to!”

Toph cackled and stomped the ground, opening up a tunnel beside her. “Told him to meet me for an ass-kicking in my usual place. Pretended to be feeling sick, so everyone thinks I’m sleeping the afternoon away. Let’s go.”

The walk to Toph’s training clearing had Sarnai’s pulse racing in anticipation. It had been just over a year since Hui followed after that library spirit. Sarnai had so many questions! Where had the flying jerboa come from? What had Hui learned while in the library? Had his egg hatched yet? Where has he explored in the past year? Had he missed Sarnai as much as they had missed him?

Trees slowly started to thin out until Toph and Sarnai entered the clearing. Seated on a rock across from them was a young teen in muted maroons and vibrant greens. He looked up, one eye wide and the other as wide as it could be with the scarring around it.

“Hui!” Sarnai yelled, breaking out into a run toward him. They gave him no chance to avoid their embrace, colliding into him at full speed.

With a startled grunt, Hui stumbled back but managed to keep both of them standing. He was taller than the last time Sarnai saw him, but Sarnai still had several inches on him. More impressive than his height was how much muscle the dang kid had. Jeez! What was his uncle feeding him?!

“Hey, Sarnai,” Hui said with a raspy laugh. His voice was a little deeper than the last time Sarnai saw him too.

“What are you doing here?” Sarnai asked into his shoulder as they squeezed him.

Hui squirmed and laughed breathlessly, not trying very hard to push Sarnai off of him. “I was in the area and promised Toph I would visit next time I was. I wasn’t expecting to find  _ you _ here!”

Sarnai pulled back to look down at their strange little scholar friend. His eyes shimmered with the threat of tears and he probably didn’t realize how dopey his smile looked. At least that was one question answered. Hui definitely had missed Sarnai just as much.

“Well, lucky for us we happened to be in the area at the same time.”

Toph stepped up and punched both of them hard in the arm. “Alright, enough with the dramatic reunions. I wanna hear about how you almost got yourself killed this time!”

“Why do you think I almost got myself killed again?!”

“Well, did you?”

Hui looked away and scrunched his nose. “Depends on who you ask.”

Toph cackled loudly, shoving Hui down on the ground to begin his story. Sarnai giggled and dropped down next to the pair. Their chest felt like it was going to explode it was so full of joy and excitement.

They had so many questions to ask, but those could wait until Toph got her stories out of Hui.


	6. Zuko's scholar persona never exposed AU

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From avayarising on Tumblr: Fire Lord Zuko confusing the heck out of his cabinet (or court, or delegates) by answering to ‘Huizhong’. Especially if Huizhong the Scholar has become a bit of a cryptid.
> 
> In a universe where Huizhong “Hui” the Scholar is never connected to Fire Lord Zuko...

It had been a  _ long _ week. Zuko was, in simple terms,  _ exhausted _ . Even a year after the end of the war, there was still so much to discuss and organize and strategize and argue and- Ugh Zuko was in desperate need of a vacation. Bun Ma kept threatening to kidnap him and leave a ransom note demanding he’s permitted three days a week of no meetings, but Zuko would rather avoid causing a national incident just to get a break.

The Peace Council was deep in discussion about something, but Zuko had zoned out at least ten minutes ago. He knew Aang or Katara were probably still involved in the discussion, so he could ask them for the important details later.

“-Hui, who-”

“What?” Zuko sat up, attention drawn to his name. He smiled apologetically for getting caught for not paying attention. “Sorry, I missed your question.”

The entire council turned to him with varying degrees of judgment and confusion. It was Katara who took pity on him first.

“We didn’t ask you a question, Zuko.”

Zuko frowned. “But you said my name.”

“Uh, no we didn’t?” Aang said, getting up from his chair to press his hand to Zuko’s forehead. “You working a bit too much there, Your Fireyness?”

“Get off, I’m fine. I just could have sworn you addressed me.”

A council member eyed Aang’s dramatic pout warily, then turned to Zuko with a judgemental pinch to her lips. “We were discussing the rumors of a scholar that had been researching the Avatar and was suspected to be an airbender. He disappeared around the time Avatar Aang returned. Did you ever encounter a scholar boy named Huizhong, better known as Hui, in your travels?”

Zuko started again at the sound of his name, but this time realized it was a name he hadn’t used in almost two years. The council stared at him, waiting for an answer.

“So... about that...”


	7. Toasty the Knowledge Seeker POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing ask meme from coredesignixandnekonee: POV — something that’s already happened, retold from another character’s perspective

Ever since Wan Shi Tong pulled the library beneath the desert, the Knowledge Seekers were horribly bored. They once helped countless humans navigate the library and expand their worldview. Now, they were lucky if a single human stumbled into Wan Shi Tong’s halls once a century.

The last human to visit hadn’t been nice.

Sure, the Knowledge Seekers enjoyed playing with the flying jerboa or any of the other creatures Wan Shi Tong housed. But they did not relish learning as the humans did. It was only Wan Shi Tong who sought after knowledge these days.

Even when the Knowledge Seekers went out into the world at Wan Shi Tong’s behest, they were not allowed to interact with the humans. If they did, more would try to find the library, Wan Shi Tong always warned. Humanity was not welcome, no matter how bored the Knowledge Seekers were.

The Lazy One was not good at following directions. It had always done as it pleased, but things always worked out so Wan Shi Tong could not get too mad at the Lazy One. 

So when the Lazy One felt the pull of something interesting in the sands surrounding its home, it did not hesitate to investigate.

Nor did it hesitate to lure an interesting young human back home.


End file.
